renting an apartment in paris

We are looking to rent an apartment for a week%26#39;s vacation in Paris. We found one we liked, but the security deposit was about 3/4 of the total rental price. This really threw us, as most sites seem to require about 1/4 of the ocst of a weekly rental for the security deposit. Has anyone else had this experience? The company is paris attitude, which has gotten good ratings, but I am hesitant to hand over so much money in security deposit. Thanks for any and all comments/guidance.

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You will find that the apartment rental policies are all over the board. You will find good and bad reviews for most of them too. I know that Parisattitude has a good rep on TA, although by no means the only one. I%26#39;ve used vacationinparis.com several times with great success. They are based in NJ and the security deposit on all their apts is a flat $300.

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Why paid agency fee and huge deposit when you can rent directly from an owner. That is why I always use VRBO . COM

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While VRBO has, with a few notable exceptions, received good buzz on TA, there are a couple of reasons one might use an agency. Especially for a first-time renter, the comfort of knowing there is recourse and a third party available if a conflict arises during any part of the transaction (including the duration of the stay). Also, in doing research, I%26#39;%26#39;ve found that VRBO is not necessarily less expensive. It depends on the agency.

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We will have to agree to disagree on this one. All the rental i%26#39;ve done came with a rental contract agreement protecting BOTH parties. I only rent for an owner one I%26#39;ve established a personal contact over the phone. And I find that the selection for Paris is much larger on vrbo than on agencies.

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my feelings exactly fastrunningmom

i`ve rejected many aps i liked because of the huge security deposit (even the same amount as the total price!!)

i find it too much (although i undestand the owners for wanting some kind o insurance)

by searching some more i`ve found alternatives with much less deposit which will be returned on check out and not a few week later!

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I think that you are right, Paname, that the selection on VRBO is much larger. It stands to reason that it would be. I guess both have something to offer, depending on your criteria. C%26#39;est la vie...

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